Rotary switch with radially displaced pressure contact points



y 4, 1968 E. v. MANDEL 3,383,478

ROTARY SWITCH WITH RADIALLY DISPLACED PRESSURE CONTACT POINTS Filed Feb. 28, 1966 I N VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,383,478 ROTARY SWITCH WITH RADIALLY DISPLACED PRESSURE CONTACT POINTS Eugene V. Mandel, 11 Eldorado Place, 'Weehawken, NJ. 07087 Filed Feb. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 534,574 34 Claims. (Cl. 200-8) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotary multiple switch having an external pressurepip-carrying-drum programmable for selectively actuating the individual switches.

This invention relates to multiple pole electrical switches and in particular to a switch capable of being readily mounted and connected to multiple electrical circuits, and in which the sequencing of switching may be altered, and to contain all this, for many applications, within the normal sized control knobs in common use.

Plug in construction for mounting and electrical connection reduces labor requirements and permits interchangeable units for repair or for function change.

Further improvements in switches will be apparent from the verbal and graphic illustrations and claims.

This multiple switch provides a high level of insulation between adjacent switches. For compact installations this multiple switch provides high switch density and occupies no more space than a control knob. This multiple switch is capable of being programmed. The programming may be changed while the switch is in use or other program drums may be readily substituted.

In the attached drawings which illustrate some particular embodiments without restrictive limitations, like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views. Unless specifically so described, shapes as shown on drawings are representational only and not geometrically restrictive.

FIGURE 1 shows a radial cross section of a common central element switch.

FIGURE 2 shows an axial cross section of a common central element switch with an integral pressure pip.

FIGURE 3 shows several shapes of wire.

FIGURE 4 shows a developed layout of a staggered pattern pressure pip carrying drum.

FIGURE 5 shows a developed layout of a pressure pip carrying drum.

FIGURE 6 shows a radial cross section of four switches.

FIGURE 7 shows a radial cross section of four double throw switches.

FIGURE 8 shows a partial axial cross section to show an indicating light.

FIGURE 9 shows an axial cross section of a multiple programmable switch.

FIGURE 10 shows a partial axial cross section showing external and internal switches.

FIGURE 11 shows a radial cross section showing external and internal switches.

In FIGURES 4 and 5, the circles shown could be square or any other shape.

The term pressure pip as here used in functionally equivalent to a cam surface and may be geometrically specified. A pressure pipe may be an integral or otherwise permanent part of a drum, a semi-permanent part such as a rivet, or a removeable and replaceable part such as a screw. The staggered pattern pressure pip layout shown permits of more programming positions.

Two typical switch embodiments will now be described. A rotary selector switch with a common central element and a single pressure pip on the inside of a rotatable cylindrical drum, such as is shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2. This switch comprises a fixed block 5 mounting several straight 2 or offset bent 1 elements and a rotatable drum 6.

A rotary field programmable switch with several electrically separate switches and many pressure pips on the inside of a rotatable cylindrical drum such as is shown in FIGURES 7 and 9. For easy insertion and removal of pressure pips, common machine screws may be used. This switch differs from the one described above by having more conductive elements arranged in a different pattern and a bigger drum with many pressure pips in several planes.

Rotatable drum 6, 14, 22 is indexed, thereby bringing a new point on the drum adjacent to the moveable conductive element. If a pressure pip is present at that point on the drum, the moveable element will be radially deflected into contact with the fixed element, thereby closing the switch and completing the electrical circuit.

The stationary switching elements 2 and 19 are contacted by the moving element 1 at points 3 when depressed by the integral pressure pip 4 or rivet head 20 or screw point 21 or 37 or screw head 38 mounted in holes 15 of rotatable drums 6, 14, 17, 22, said pressure pips being located in single planes as 4 or in multiple planes as 14, 17 and FIGURE 9. The switching position or sequence is changed by rotating the drum 6, 22 on the stationary insulating block 5 or the bearings 32 or the shaft or axle 28 and its surface 48 with or without slip clutch 30. The drum may be indexed manually or by screwdriver slots 49 or by a motor or solenoid via shaft 28 or by belt or chain such as bead chain 33 or by meshing gears or by a crank linkage, or a geneva or other known drives with positive indexed location by detent 31. For convenience, a central grounding lead 18 or a through hole for wiring 18 can be provided in the insulating block 5. The switch can be mounted to a panel or chassis in various known ways: by plugging into a printed circuit board or an electrical connector, or by attaching by screws or rivets through holes 34, or by a big nut and thread. Electrical connections to external circuits can be effected by plug in, by pushing contacts onto the ends 50 of the contact elements 1, 2, and 19; by wire wrapping ends 50, by soldering to ends 50, or by any other known method of wiring and connecting. The variously shaped wires shown in FIGURE 3 can be used for convenience in plug in, in wire wrapping and the concave wire 11 will improve electrical contacting action. The drum end may be closed as in FIGURE 2 or open as 23 or closed with a separate piece as 29. When using indicating lights 26 which may be electrically attached to common lead 24 and to switch element 19, the end 23 of the drum 22 may be open or transparent or at the least translucent. Drum and switch positions can also be easily read by marking the end 29 or circumference 22 of the drum and the bezel 51 on the insulating block 5.

In FIGURE 9, 46 and 47 show different locations of pressure pads on conductive elements 1 which are therefore depressed by pressure points in different planes. The individual switches are variously shown as single pole with common element in FIGURE 1, single pole in FIG- URE 6, double throw in FIGURE 7, and the above plus double pole 42 in FIGURE 11. In FIGURE 7, the outer layer contains more conductive elements 1 than the inner layer 19. The limited clearance on the side of the slot is shown at 40 and the air gap between elements at 41 and the insulator between the elements of a double throw switch at 43. It should be noted in FIGURE that the drum 22 may be extended past the encircling insulating block 35 if desired for manual operation. Otherwise the drum may be indexed as discussed above. In FIGURE 10, the outer layers of conductive elements are shorter than the inner layers to permit of access. The pressure pips may be made in various ways: as integral parts of the drum, as permanent riveted attachments, as removable screws, with heads shaped as desired or no heads at all or in any other manner. The indicating lights where used can have symbols or designations as desired and either the light itself or the front of the switch .drum can have an optical magnifier. The conductive elements can be straight as 19 or offset as 27 on 1, the olfset being for convenience in mating dimensions with standard electrical connectors and printed circuit boards and for convenience in wiring and to secure the element in insulating block 5. The switch element itself can be bent as at 46 and 47 or can have contacts and pressure pads welded or otherwise attached. The terminations 1, 2, 19, 28, 50 may be of variable thicknesses and lengths.

As can be seen, there are many variations possible by combining known concepts of the prior art with this basic switch construction. The essence of this switch is a small programmable plug in device.

Of course, various generally known methods of manufacture and established accepted mechanisms can be used. It is not believed necessary to list all possible methods based upon applications of the prior art within the spirit and scope of this invention.

It is not intended to be limited to the exact embodiments shown, because the various parts may be changed in size, shape and arrangement without deviating from the spirit of the invention as included in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A multiple switch comprising:

a block, 7

one or more switches afiixed to the block so that they are insulated from each other and arranged in an approximately arcular and parallel configuration; each of said switches having at least two electrically conductive elements, at least one of which is movable,

a rotor having a surface of revolution and being constrained to arcular motion by a surface of revolution in the block, said rotor carrying a pressure pip moving tangentially about the outside of said switches, said pressure pip upon contacting a movable switch element causing it by cam action to move approximately radially thereby opening or closing the circuit.

2. A switch according to claim 1 with a pressure pip traversing a circular path and successively closing or opening various switches.

3. A switch according to claim 1 in which some of the switches are terminated in leads capable of being inserted into connectors.

4. A switch according to claim 1 in which some of the switches have a single common electrically conductive element.

5. A switch according to claim 1 in which the motion of the moving contact element is restricted by radial walls on each side of the element.

6. A switch according to claim 1 in which the current carrying elements are mounted in an insulating block.

7. A switch according to claim 1 in which the electrical contacts have concave surfaces.

8. A switch according to claim 1 such that all electrical conductive elements are separated from all other conductive elements by insulating surfaces except at contact areas.

9. A switch according to claim 1 including a double pole three element switch such that one element is capable of moving radially to electrically contact both the other elements.

10. A switch according to claim 1 including a double throw three element switch such that two elements are separately capable of approximately radial motion to electrically contact the third element.

11. A switch according to claim 2 in which there are a series of pressure pips permitting simultaneous closing or opening of several switches.

12. A switch according to claim 2 in which some of the switches are located outside of the circular path.

13. A switch according to claim 2 in which some of the individual switches are double throw switches.

14. A switch according to claim 2 in which some of the switches are double pole switches.

15. A switch according to claim 2 in which the switch contact points are substantially in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the switch.

16. A switch according to claim 2 in which the switch contact points are in several planes perpendicular to the central axis of the switch.

17. A switch according to claim 6 in which indicating lights are mounted in the end of the insulating block, suitably wired to the particular individual switch.

18. A switch according to claim 2 comprising an insulated mounting block, electrically conductive elements, and a rotatable indexing drum carrying cam-like pressure pips.

19. A switch according to claim 3 in which some of the element terminations known as leads have been joggled and offset any desired distance and the leads are substantial.

20. A switch according to claim 2 in which the electrically conductive elements are arranged in concentric layers with increasing numbers of elements in outer layers.

21. A switch according to claim 2 in which the electrically conductive elements in the inner layers are longer than in the outer layers.

22. A switch according to claim 11 in which the pressure pips are in several planes perpendicular to the central axis of the switch.

23. A switch according to claim 11 in which the pressure points are carried by a cylindrical drum.

24. A switch according to claim 17 in which indicating lights are mounted in holes parallel to the switch element.

25. A switch according to claim 23 in which the holes for mounting the pressure pips are made in a flat plate, which is then rolled up into a cylindrical drum.

26. A switch according to claim 23 in which the pressure pips are in parallel planes both axially and radially, an orthogonal pattern.

27. A switch according to claim 23 in which the pressure pips are in a staggered pattern.

28. A switch according to claim 23 in which the drums can be readily installed and removed.

29. A switch according to claim 23 in which the drum, pressure pips thereupon and stationary insulating block are made of or coated with insulating material.

30. A switch according to claim 23 in the drum of V which the pressure points can be readily installed and removed, to permit readily changeable programming.

31. A switch according to claim 23 in which the pressure pips are integral parts of the drum.

32. A switch according to claim 31 in which the pressure pip carrying surface is first fabricated as an open shape and then rolled up into a drum.

33. A switch according to claim 28 in which removal References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1908 Jones 200-8 6/1923 Habicht 200-8 XR 8/1943 Haynes 200-166 10 Harkness 200-26 Grossen 200'-4 Bernard ZOO-166.1 XR Shlesinger 200-8 XR Dennee 200-166.1 XR Seabury 200-8 XR ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

I. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,383,478 May 14, 1968 Eugene V Mandel It is certified that error appears i t and that said Letters Patent are hereby co n the above identified paten rrected as shown below:

line 64, "pipe" Column 1, 11ne 62, "in" should read is should read pip Column 4, line 20, claim reference numeral "2" should read l Signed and sealed this 9th day of December 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Edwin M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

